THE key to weight loss is a calorie deficit, which means taking in fewer calories than you burn.
It is at the core of the NHS “soups and shake” diet which has been proved to work after being offered to 25,000 patients.
Users lost 21lb on average, with a third going into remission from Type 2 diabetes.
The radical diet strips out most solid food and has an upper limit of 900 calories a day for the first 12 weeks, before healthy food is introduced.
But there are other, slightly more unusual ways, that might help you lose weight.
Lucy Gornall explains.
SWEET, sugary and salty treats can often hold us back from achieving our weight-loss targets.
According to Jose Guevara, fitness instructor and founder of Shredded Dad, giving your teeth a thorough brush and rinse in the early evening, at around 7pm or 8pm can dull your desire for the treats.
“There’s something about that fresh, clean, minty flavour that coats your mouth and stops those indulgent cravings for something sweet right in their tracks,” he says.
THERE’S a reason why you typically eat less on a hot day.
Your body is working hard to regulate your body temperature and, therefore, does not need extra heat from food.
This means your digestion slows and you feel fuller for longer.
Research has found that hot temperatures lead to reduced production of the hunger hormone ghrelin.
Another study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that participants consumed around 300 fewer calories after spending two hours in 30C heat.
So make the most of the heat to lose weight.
A STUDY published in the Journal of the National Medical Association found that a pinch of salt – preferably Himalayan salt – can stop you reaching for that slice of cake, bar of chocolate or packet of crisps.
Essentially, the research found that salt (a compound called sodium chloride) prevents the loss of the mineral sodium and other electrolyte minerals.
This loss can cause hunger levels to increase.
Alternatively, add a pinch of salt to a glass of water and drink that instead.
EXPOSING your body to brief spells of cold can potentially give your metabolic rate a little boost, according to research.
This doesn’t have to mean taking ice baths daily, which can be time consuming and costly.
Instead, Jose says that something as simple as finishing your shower with 30 to 60 seconds of cold water could help you lose weight.
The cold will activate your brown fat cells to produce heat to counter the cold – and while they do this, they also burn calories.
YOU don’t always need to eat before your workout.
In fact, Jose says that you might want to save your toughest workout for just before you break the fast.
He says: “Training in a fasted state helps get your body used to tapping into fat stores for fuel. It’s like you’re reprogramming your metabolism to be a more efficient fat burner.”
But if you’ve done a tough workout, make sure you refuel properly with a solid post-workout meal.
CHANGING into your sportswear to exercise can seem like a chore – but who said you have to?
Jose says: “There’s something liberating about just starting to exercise when you’re already in lounge mode. It removes the barrier of having to ‘get ready’. And these little hurdles can be enough to make you skip a workout.”
He adds: “If you’re already in your PJs, you can just roll out of bed or off the sofa straight into a quick bodyweight routine, yoga flow or plank workout.”
IF you don’t feel full after meals you’re likely to reach for seconds, which will rack up your calories.
Scientists at Shaanxi University in China say the key to weight loss is to “increase perceived portion size”.
You can do this by cutting your food into smaller pieces and arranging it across your plate, rather than stacking it in the centre.
Study participants thought chocolate portions were bigger when displayed this way.
Carl says: “It works as it tricks the brain.”
IT is a bit time-consuming, but writing down everything you eat could help you lose weight.
The theory is that it helps you analyse what you’re eating and notice any patterns of behaviour.
In a study of almost 1,700 people, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, it was found that participants who kept daily food diaries lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t.
NEED a really easy way to burn more calories?
If you work in an office and spend much of the day sitting down, then switch to a standing desk.
Carl says: “Studies have shown that standing can burn anywhere between 70 to 95 calories an hour compared with 65 to 85 when sitting, depending on your age, height, weight and gender.”
Although it might seem minor, this means you could burn a potential 400 extra calories each week just by standing up in the office.
DITCH the white crockery temporarily as it could be jeopardising your weight-loss efforts.
An easy hack is to switch white plates for red, according to research by Oxford University.
Scientists concluded that: “Red is a primitive danger signal, but it also gives the food less contrast, which makes it look less desirable so you won’t eat so much of it.”
Carl adds: “The study goes on to say that you should avoid eating in front of the TV, as your brain will be so involved with the TV that it will miss the cues reminding you that you’ve had enough.”
GET the family involved, break a sweat and have fun by including fitness games into your evenings and weekends.
Carl Smith, a PT and CEO of Active Careers, reveals: “A Stanford University study examined the effects of Pokemon Go on physical activity and found participants increased their steps on average by 1,473 a day over a 30-day period.”
Try tennis, frisbee, tag or hide and seek with the kids – you won’t even realise you’re burning calories.
Plus, you’ll be distracted from the snack drawer.
